1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to a collapsible blanket or mat assembly which offers multiple uses, and which may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the assembly to facilitate convenient storage and use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collapsible objects have recently become popular with both adults and children. Examples of such collapsible objects are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,038,812 (Norman), 5,467,794 (Zheng) and 5,560,385 (Zheng) in the form of collapsible structures. These structures may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the structures to facilitate convenient storage and use. As such, these structures are being enjoyed by many people in many different applications.
Another example of a collapsible object is a beach blanket as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,333 (Kaiser et al.). The beach blanket has a large springy hoop that is retained inside a blanket. The hoop is inserted into the blanket via a slit provided in an edge of the blanket. The beach blanket can be twisted and folded into a reduced configuration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that can be folded and collapsed into a smaller configuration for convenient storage and transportation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that offers multiple uses.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly whose components can be separated for different uses.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that provides a panel that can be used as a mat.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that provides a covering that can be used as a conventional blanket.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that allows the user to conveniently replace or substitute the covering independent of the panel.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that provides a sufficiently well-defined configuration that is not changed during use as either a blanket or a mat.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a blanket or mat assembly that can be folded more quickly than a conventional blanket or mat.
In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, the blanket or mat assembly according to the present invention includes a panel having a foldable frame member that has a folded and an unfolded orientation, and a sheet material substantially covering the frame member when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation, with the sheet material assuming the unfolded orientation of its associated frame member. The assembly further includes a covering having a top portion, a peripheral edge, an opening defined by the peripheral edge, and an interior, with the panel retained inside the interior and accessing the interior of the covering via the opening. The covering assumes the configuration of the panel when the panel is retained inside the interior of the covering. The covering and the panel can be twisted and folded to the folded orientation of the frame member to reduce the overall size of the covering and the panel.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dimension of the opening is smaller than a largest dimension of the frame member in its unfolded orientation when the panel is retained inside the interior of the covering. The covering can include an everted portion that is contiguous with the top portion and couples the peripheral edge. A sleeve extends along the peripheral edge for retaining an elastic band that reduces the dimension of the opening. As an alternative, a strap may be retained inside the sleeve, the strap having opposing ends that can be tied to reduce the dimension of the opening, or loosened to increase the dimension of the opening.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of attachment devices can be provided in spaced apart manner adjacent the peripheral edge to secure the panel to the covering. The covering can have a plurality of extensions spaced-apart along the peripheral edge, with each extension having an attachment device provided thereon.
The collapsible assemblies according to the present invention is convenient for use since they can be easily and quickly folded and collapsed into a smaller size for transportation and storage. In addition, the covering of the assemblies can be removed from the panel to allow cleaning of the covering, or to substitute another covering having a different pattern and/or color design. The panel can be used as a mat separate from the covering, which can be used as a conventional blanket.